Bowling-alley pin and method of making same



Dec. 11, 1934.- w H- w s 1,983,722

BOWLING ALLEY PIN AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Jan. 22, 1934 PatentedDec. 11, 1934 UNITED. sT Tss BOWLING-ALLEY PIN AND METHOD OF MAKING SAMEWilliam H. Williams, Highland Park, Mich, as-

signor of one-half to Maurice Hotchkiss, De-

troit, Mich.

Application January 22, 1934, Serial No. 707,844

6 Claims. (Cl. 27382) This invention relates generally to bowlingalleypins such as tenpins and duckpins, and refers more particularly to themanufacture thereof.

One of the essential objects of the invention is to improve theconstruction of pins of the type mentioned so that they will withstandthe hard usage to which they are subjected without being cut or batteredout of shape and without interfering with the usual action of such pinswhile in play.

Another object is to provide a pin of the type mentioned that is soconstructed that it will standplumb and its equilibrium will bemaintained without having to shave or cut off its lower end or bottom asheretofore.

Another object is to accomplish the foregoing without altering orchanging the shape of the pin from the conventional and withoutemploying inserts of elastic material that tend to adhere to thewoodwork of thev alley and to other pins while in use.

In other words, it is an object of the present invention to provide apin that will move and fall just like a conventional pin formedthroughout of hard wood, but without being damaged or damaging otherpins or parts of the alley.

Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of thisinvention will be made more apparent this description proceeds,especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing,wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bowlingalley pin embodying myinvention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the bottom of the pinshowing the channel before the cement and cushioning strip are inserted;

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the cushioning strip before it isinserted into the channel in the body of the pin;

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 2, but showing the strip partiallyinserted in the channel;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the pin, butbefore it has been ground down;

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figure 5, but showing the strip after ithas been ground down and in its finished form.

Referring now to the drawing, A is the body and B is the strip insert ofa bowling-alley pin embodying my invention. As shown, the body A isformed of relatively hard wood and is conventional in configuration. Theinsert B is formed of non-elastic material such as sole leather and ispreferably cemented within an annular channel 1 in the body A at thebottom or lower end thereof. 1 is inclined relative to the axis of thebody A and opens outwardly at the juncture of the bottom and side faces2 and 3 respectively thereof. As shown, the outer side 4 of the channelis flat and extends to the side face 3 of the body, while the inner side5 of the channel has a fiat portion 6 substantially parallel to the fiatouter side 4 and has a flaring portion 7 that extends to the bottom face2 of the body. The strip insert B fits snugly in the channel 1 andhas'flat faces 8 and 9 respectively flush with the bottom and side faces2 and 3 respectively of the body.

In the process of construction the channel 1 may be formed in the'body Aby any suitable means (not shown). The insert'B is initially out instrip form with a longitudinally extending beveled face 10, asillustrated in Figure 3 so that it may readily be inserted into thechannel 1 and conform to the inner side 5 thereof. If cement such as 11of any suitable character is placed in the channel 1, the strip B may beassembled with the body A by inserting one end of the strip into thechannel and then curving and pressing the remainder of the stripportion-by-portion lengthwise thereof into the channel, as illustratedin Figure 4 until the free end thereof meets the fixed end in thechannel. The strip B is then ground down to provide the flat faces 8 and9 flush with the faces 2 and 3 respectively of the body.

In use the strip insert B forms the corner for the body A at the bottomor lower end thereof and being softer than the hard wood of which thebody is formed will not damage the bodies of other pins or the woodworkof the alley or the balls used in bowling. Being non-elastic, the insertB will not adhere to the woodwork of the alley or to the body of otherpins. Such insert B is flush with the bottom and sides of the body,hence the pin is of conventional shape and devoid of objectionableprotuberances. As a result, such pin will function exactly like theconventional pin formed entirely of hard wood but without damage asheretofore.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The method of making a bowling-alley pin including the steps forforming a hard wood body of predetermined configuration with bottom andside faces, forming in the body at the juncture of said faces an annularchannel with opposite Preferably the channel sides thereof extendingrespectively to the bottom and side faces of the body, placing anadhesive substance in the channel, inserting one end of a strip ofnon-elastic material into the channel, then inserting the remainder ofsaid strip portion-by-portion lengthwise thereof into the channel untilthe free end of the strip meets the end in the channel, and finallygrinding down the strip to provide meeting fiat surfaces respectivelyflush with the bottom and side faces of the body.

2. The method of making a bowling-alley pin including the steps offorming a hard wood body with bottom and side faces, forming in the bodyat the juncture of said faces inclined relative to the axis of the bodyan annular channel with opposite sides thereof extending respectively tothe bottom and side faces of the body, inserting one end of a strip ofnon-elastic material into the channel, then inserting the remainder ofsaid strip portion-by-portion lengthwise thereof into the channel untilthe free end of the strip meets the end thereof in the channel, andfinallygrinding down the strip to provide meeting flat facesrespectively flush with the bottom and side faces of the body.

3. A bowling alley pin comprising a body of relatively hard wood havinga flat bottom and curved sides, said body being provided at the junctureof said flat bottom and curved sides with an outwardly opening channel,opposite sides of said channel being substantially parallel andinclining inwardly relative to the axis of said body, and a strip insertof softener non-elastic material in said angularly disposed channelsubstantially filling and conforming to the shape of the said channel,the exposed faces of said insert being flush with the bottom and sidesrespectively of the body.

4. A bowling alley pin comprising a body of relatively hard wood havinga flat bottom and curved sides, said body being provided at the junctureof said flat bottom and curved sides with an outwardly opening channel,the outer side of said channel being fiat and inclined relative to theaxis of the body and extending to said curved sides, the inner side ofthe channel having a flat portion substantially parallel to the saidouter side and having a flaring portion that extends to the bottom ofsaid body, and a strip insert of softer non-elastic material in saidangularly disposed channel substantially filling and conforming to theshape of said channel, the exposed faces of said insert being flush withthe bottom and sides respectively of the body.

5- The method of making a bowling alley pin including the steps offorming a hard wood body with bottom and side faces, forming in the bodyat the juncture "of said faces an annular channel with substantiallyparallel sides inclined relative to the axis of the body and extendingto the bottom and side faces respectively of the body, inserting a stripof non-elastic softer material into the channel, and finally grindingdown the strip to provide meeting fiat faces respectively flush with thebottom and side faces of the body.

6. The method of making a bowling alley pin including the steps offorming a hard wood body with bottom and side faces, forming in the bodyat thejuncture of said faces an annular channel with opposite sidesthereof extending to the bottom and side faces respectively of the body,inserting one end of a strip of non-elastic softer material into thechannel, then inserting the remainder of said strip portion by portionlengthwise thereof into the channel until the free end of the stripmeets the end thereof in the channel, and finally grinding down thestrip to. provide meeting flat faces respectively flush with the bottomand side faces of the body.

WILLIAM H. WILLIAMS.

